Charade
by mentalsunflower
Summary: Four years into the future, the Fire Lord throws a masquerade ball to help bring country officials together. The dance leads to a sudden change of heart for Katara, and here her new story begins...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **My friend said 'write an Avatar fic with a masquerade ball!' so here it is! It's placed four years after the finale.

**Disclaimer: **Bryke's.

**Charade**

"Aang, couldn't you act a bit more dignified?" Katara asked in an exasperated voice. "You _are _the Avatar, you know."

Aang had grown. He was now taller than the girl beside him, but still bald. He grinned down at her, the butterfly mask held up to his face no disguise whatsoever. After all, everyone could still see his arrow tattoo. His clothes matched the mask: a simple cream-colored Earth Kingdom-style outfit. "How can I be dignified? Zuko decided to throw a party, for once! It's a great step for him," he added with a chuckle. Katara smiled wanly, holding the lemur mask up closer to her face as the two walked up the steps to the entrance of the castle.

"Yes, well, we must never miss a moment of Zuko," she muttered dryly, but Aang was already bounding through the front doors, not bothering to wait for her at the entrance which was bordered by two Fire Kingdom servants. She frowned moodily. "Some boyfriend."

The hall of the Fire Nation Castle was brilliantly decorated: there were candles lining the walls, the stairs, the floor. The lights were dim to help hide identities, and the warm orange tinge of the room made the atmosphere feel like a strange mixture between drowsiness and excitement. Food was in the corner, the band in the other, and in the center of the room was a group of people performing a traditional Fire Nation dance in couples. Katara watched for a moment, a smile creeping up onto her face. It couldn't have been Zuko who planned it all. After all, he was about as creative as a piece of seaweed.

Katara felt a bit too underdressed for the obviously fancy occasion. She was dressed in a simple black and white dress to match her lemur mask. They had bought each other the masks they were going to wear: Katara had picked a butterfly (as stupid as it sounded, they reminded her of Aang), and Aang had picked… well, Momo.

Great.

Katara took a deep breath and stepped further into the room. She was going to enjoy the night. It didn't matter that she hadn't seen Zuko in almost a year, and she'd only talked with Toph once or twice in that period. It didn't matter that Sokka was going to be there with his newlywed wife, Suki, and that somehow Katara felt pushed out of her brother's life because of her.

They were silly thoughts, random fears with no real frame to them, but Katara still felt anxiety gnawing at her stomach.

The party _was _a good idea though, despite all the gloomy moments Katara foresaw for herself. It was held for all the officials of each nation, but the point of the masquerade was to blend in and all feel as one nation, not wearing the colors of ones country or anything like that. So far, it seemed to be working. After all, Katara clearly saw the white hair of a certain Jeong-Jeong dancing with a familiar black-haired attendant from the Earth Kingdom… one of the many Judis.

She turned to go to the food table when she felt a stab of horror in her back. She knew it was Toph standing there. The girl was taller now, but still stout in body. After all, she was sixteen now… so much older. Her hair was chopped short now, so she didn't have to worry about it in the mornings, Katara reasoned. Even though she was holding the mask of a badger mole up to her face, Katara could still see the white eyes beneath it. And then she thought, _badger mole_? What kind of choice was that? Wasn't exactly pretty, but then again, neither was a Momo plastered up to her face.

A strong woman brushed past Katara at that moment, her mask a horn-rimmed design with deep red jewels on them. Her hair was long and black and matched her black gown, and Katara somehow knew that it was Mai. Seeing her didn't fill her with any particular joy, especially when the supposed Mai went over to the supposed Toph and began chatting with her. Katara frowned. So what, Mai spoke with Toph more than Katara did? How was that even fair? It was true the Fire Nation was closer than the Southern Water Tribe to Toph, but still… it hurt the littlest bit.

"Why, you look familiar." A warm arm wrapped itself over her shoulders. Katara jumped and looked to the side, where her brother's unmistakeable blue eyes watched her from behind a simple white mask that framed his eyes. It wasn't as if Katara didn't see Sokka. They'd both been at the Southern Water Tribe for the last three years or so, but the last six months Sokka had travelled to Kyoshi Island with Suki. Katara grinned and hugged Sokka tightly.

"I'm so happy you're here," she cried in a relieved tone. Sokka giggled and stepped back, hands on her shoulders, surveying her.

"Your hair is longer."

"Yes, hair does that thing called growing," Katara replied sarcastically, but her smile ruined the words.

"You're paler."

"I've been living in the Southern Pole again, remember? You were there for some of the time."

A pause. "How is it with Aang? I haven't gotten a letter from you in awhile."

Katara shrugged. "Aang is fine. Travelling all the time, of course, but at least he's got Appa so it makes it easier to see him. I went with him up to the Northern Water Tribe for a while a few months ago," Katara began excitedly. "It was cool, because—"

"Sokka, there you are!" a familiar voice said loudly with a laugh in it. Suki magically appeared beside Sokka. For her mask she wore only Kyoshi Warrior face paint. She almost looked like she had four years ago, but now she was taller and leaner.

"Katara, hi!" she greeted enthusiastically. Katara gave her a weak wave.

"Hey, Suki." She saw the two of them link hands and she felt more out of place. "Uh, look, I'm gonna look for Aang…"

"Good luck finding him here," Sokka warned her. She followed his gaze and saw the hall had gotten more crowded with people who all looked like everything they really weren't. It was hotter, too.

"God, can't they blow out a few candles or something? I'm burning," Katara muttered, and with a quick good-bye to her brother and Suki, stalked off to the side of the room. Not the one with Toph and Mai, who, she still noticed, were happily talking away. Probably about Toph's newfound fashion sense, she noticed with a pang. Toph had somehow acquired the skill of having the perfect jewellery and the perfect brown dress that seemed elegant and slimming and faultless all at the same time. Katara, on the other hand, looked like… well… a lemur.

She was just watching the crowd of dancers, who were all now in a circle, clapping along to the fast pace of the music as a woman danced seductively in the middle, flitting her fan around and grinning at the people with a flip of her braid. Ty Lee, obviously. The pink mask didn't hide that coy grin of hers from anybody.

Katara shuffled deeper into the darkness of the side of the hall. What was her problem? She'd never been a social leper before, or anything. But the overwhelming thought of everyone having their own lives, _different _lives without her made her panicked and sick all at the same time. Katara didn't want that. She wanted them all back together, living together, travelling on Appa and eating dried meat and fruit and telling stories of their homes late into the night. She wanted that back. This was all too formal, too bizarre, and what a stupid theme anyway.

Her bitter thoughts swamped her; washing out the few positive words she had told herself over and over earlier in the night. Now she was just mad. And she still hadn't found Aang.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself." The husky voice was the same, but deeper now. Katara knew who it was without looking.

"Your party stinks," she muttered.

"Really?" he sounded genuinely surprised. "I thought it was going relatively well. Ty Lee is always the perfect entertainment for the guests."

Katara let a smile pass her lips. "I'm sure."

The two watched the dancing quietly. "You're not enjoying it either, are you?"

"No, not really," Zuko replied in a shockingly easy tone. No anger, no harshness, no snide remarks. "The mask covers my scar, which is always nice." Wow, no angsting over the scar, either. Katara turned her face to finally look over at him. He wore a mask similar to Mai's, but no rubies on it. Just red. His hair was pulled up in the familiar hair knot worn by Fire Nation men, and he wore clothes that looked more uncomfortable and stuff than even his Fire Lord outfit.

"You don't look happy," she said. "Even with the covered scar and all."

Zuko sighed. "It's just so _hot_."

Katara laughed, surprised. "But you're a Firebender!"

"My body is still human," he muttered, wiping a hand across his forehead. "I think I invited too many people."

"No, you had to, or else some people would be insulted. None of that in our time of peace," she warned him seriously. Zuko's lips pulled up in his familiar smirk of a smile.

"But of course."

The two fell quiet again. Katara fanned herself slowly with a hand. "It's been awhile since I've talked to you," she finally told him. She didn't add on the, 'I missed it' that was running frantically through her head.

Zuko shrugged. "We've had letters."

Katara nodded. "Of course. Letters."

"Several."

"Right."

"Still not enough."

Zuko's words made Katara smile. "Nope." A pause. "And I can't even _write _to Toph, because she's blind, and I don't know, I'd feel weird if anyone read my letters to her, and Sokka is always busy loving Suki, and Aang is busy saving the world and you're busy right along with him, and I feel like I'm left behind in the stupid cold that is the Southern Water Tribe—it is so _cold_! And all I do anymore is wash clothes and knit and baby-sit kids and maybe entertain them with making ice dolls or something, but I don't get to _do _anything anymore and it's driving me insane, and this stupid party of yours is only reminding me of that!" Katara said all in one harsh, angry breath. She crossed her arms in front of her, knowing she'd just sounded like a whining ten-year-old, but it had helped the tiniest bit to unload all the thoughts that had been on her mind.

Zuko blinked underneath his mask. "Sorry." His word held a hint of sarcasm. "If you wanted I could've just burned your invite, if that had made things easier for you."

Katara sighed heavily. "No, that's not what I meant, it just… the best time of my life is gone now, and it feels like it won't come back. Everyone is moving on with bigger and better things, and I'm… not."

The crowd clapped as Ty Lee finished her dance, and the music smoothly transitioned into an old-time dance. Couples filtered out onto the floor, flirting, smiling, some of them whipping off their masks for a second and giggling with their partner afterward. Zuko and Katara didn't move.

"Then don't let yourself fall behind," Zuko ordered in a tone just as angry as hers. "I got myself up to where I belong: so did Sokka, and Toph, and obviously Aang. What makes you think you can't do the same?"

Katara frowned at his tone. "But the laundry, and—"

"Then leave the tribe!" Zuko said, exasperated. She could see it in the pucker of his mouth and the wrinkle of his nose. She stared at him.

"Oh, I can't just up and leave…"

"You did it once, didn't you?" Zuko reminded her, and a smile finally passed through his face. "And look how much that helped the world."

Katara thought over his words, but laughed quickly, acting as if she dismissed his words. "Always the funny one," she muttered darkly, but her mind was whirling.

"Oh," Zuko suddenly said, and touched Katara's arm lightly. "I see Aang." Katara looked in the direction Zuko's head was turned—behind her—and she saw Aang walking toward her with a spring in her step.

"Katara, what're you doing here?" he asked enthusiastically. "The party's finally happening! Why are you hiding in the dark alone?"

Katara smiled at him. "Aang, are you crazy?" she asked jokingly. "I'm here with—" she turned back around, but Zuko was gone, out to mill with the crowd or maybe dance with someone. She was never too sure with Zuko. "—with… my thoughts," she ended stupidly. She ran forward and grabbed Aang's hand. "Come on, let's go dance," she ordered him, and Aang was delighted.

Katara did all she was supposed to at that ball, but when she stepped out she flung the lemur mask off and threw it into the river bubbling beneath the stone bridge, and she felt that a lonely part of her life had washed itself away, just like the mask floating downstream.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Chapter two! PS: I am a Zutara shipper, but don't worry, this is not necessarily a Zutara fic. It may become one later (maybemaybemaybe) but for now I am just starting off with Zuko and Katara interaction. More will be coming back soon, bwaha.

**Disclaimer: **Bryke's.

* * *

"Fire Lord Zuko."

"Ungh." He rolled over in bed, tucking the blanket over his head as if to block out the man's voice.

"Fire Lord Zuko," it persisted, coming closer to the bed.

"Who gave you permission to come into my chambers?" he finally muttered through the blanket. His face was squished into the pillow. He could barely breathe, but it was comfortable for at least the next few seconds. Zuko had stayed perfectly sober last night, and yet this morning felt just like the morning after the masquerade ball (where he had one two many goblets of punch), which had only been two weeks ago… yet it seemed so much further behind him. Since then he'd traveled to the Earth Kingdom twice, the Northern Water Tribe once, and had circulated around the Fire Nation two or three times. All on business.

"Well, I apologize, Fire Lord, but there is someone waiting in the throne room…"

"Already?" Zuko barked, finally sitting up and glaring menacingly at the innocent servant. He didn't care, he was grouchy. Zuko had only gotten to bed three or four hours earlier. "It's only seven in the morning, for God's sake!"

The small man hesitated and scratched his nose. "Well, Fire Lord, you are not exactly a teenage boy anymore, maybe you should limit the sleeping in—"

"Oh for God's sake, seven is not sleeping in," he snapped, standing up. Immediately two servants rushed forward and slipped his robe on. Zuko brushed them off, irritated, and tied his robe together. Honestly. The servants still weren't used to letting Zuko do his own thing, four years later. It was getting annoying.

"I would have told her to wait," began the man in a hurry, twisting his hands together anxiously, "but she threatened to freeze me in a giant ice ball if I didn't hurry, and that is a truly frightening prospect, Fire Lord—"

Zuko had just opening the doors to the wardrobe that held his clothes, but paused at the man's words. "A water bender?" he asked, with a foreboding feeling itching at his shoulders. No… she wouldn't come here, would she?

"Ah, yes, Fire Lord," he squeaked, bowing. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."

Zuko stared at the little man, horror-struck. "Well… damn." He slammed the wardrobe doors back together. "If it's just her, I'm not going to bother changing."

The man stared blankly. "Ah… of course…"

"Send her up," Zuko said with a little wave and a stifled yawn. Stupid woman, interrupting his sleep like that. What on Earth could she possibly have to say that would be of interest? He hoped it wasn't more yelling.

* * *

"I'm going to live here."

Zuko stared.

"And not here, as in, Fire Nation here, but _here _here, the castle sort of here."

Zuko let out a gargled squawking noise, and finally flopped backwards onto his bed with a groan.

Katara was standing just inside the entrance, arms crossed, brow furrowed. She didn't look like she was asking a friend a favour… more like she would kill him if he refused.

"What? It's not like you're low on space," Katara said scathingly. "And you won't even notice me. I'll do my own thing, I just…" She sighed heavily, and finally added on, "please?" Although not very sincerely.

Zuko stared up at the ceiling, blinking hard and rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Katara…" he said in an irritated moan. "Why here? Why now?"

"Well, back at that party," Katara said in an accusatory tone. "You said I should leave and do my own thing, and so I left, and—here I am!"

Zuko frowned. "My advice did not exactly mean I wanted you to come live in the castle."

She stared at him. "Oh. Fine. Okay, no problem, I'll just hitch a ride on a boat and row myself over to the Earth Kingdom, where I'll trek around till I magically find Aang and get him to give me a ride back home on Appa… no problem, no problem…"

Zuko sat up suddenly and glared at her. "Oh my God, fine, stay!"

Katara smiled. "Really?"

"Yes." Zuko sighed heavily. For all his annoyance, he and Katara were still friends. Besides, he didn't want the Avatar marching in and accusing him of destroying the future of his girlfriend, or something. "But why no letter of warning?"

Katara grinned. "Who needs letters when you get the real thing anyway?" And she flounced out of the door as if she'd been staying there her whole life already.

Zuko knew she hadn't told him everything. So why in the world had she decided to come stay in the castle? "What about Sokka and Suki's place?" Zuko called loudly down the hall. He didn't care that his tone was rather ferocious.

Katara stopped and turned around to face him. "Gee, Zuko, can't you imagine how much fun I'd have being a third wheel on a newlywed lifestyle? I don't think so!" And she let out a loud laugh, as if she were mocking Zuko, and turned back round and strolled slowly down the hall. Zuko watched her until she turned the corner and vanished off to who-knew-where.

He sighed and finally rolled out of bed, going to the wardrobe and finally picking one of the many similar Fire Lord outfits. It wasn't as if he hated Katara. It was true that they were still friends, but even when they had been closer—back in the day—there had always been the tension. Even after her hug of forgiveness (or whatever that had been), and even after Zuko took a lightning bolt for her, for God's sake, there had always been an obvious anger between them. The thin line where if one of them said something that might bother the other the tiniest bit, both would explode into fury.

And now he had to deal with her, along with his new life as a Fire Lord.

Four years may seem a long time to some, but to Zuko he was still getting accustomed to everything around him: to have servants, to wake up in a big bed, to make political statements and promises and having to deal with the people who still hated him, blamed him for everything that had ever gone wrong.

Katara's presence just did not help one bit.

* * *

Katara couldn't stop grinning all the way back to the entrance of the castle, where two bags were still sitting just inside. She'd left them there on her way to the throne room. When she'd heard from a servant that Zuko was still sleeping, she'd laughed at first, but then gotten irritated when the servant tried to stop her from seeing him. Him! As if Zuko were any better than her. The servant must have thought she was just some random woman, and that brought on her anger again. If Aang had walked in, the servants would have bowled each other down to run and kiss his feet, or something.

Katara rubbed her forehead wearily, slowing her pace slightly. There it was again, that frustration, that jealousy of Aang. She'd had it several times when they had traveled together so long ago, and just recently it had started up again. Whenever he told stories of his journeys, of the difference he was making in the world… she wanted to pummel him, and then cry. It didn't make sense.

So she had decided to at least leave the water tribe. Aang and Appa had come with her to stay in the Southern Water Tribe for the next few weeks for a short visit. Just when Aang had been about to leave, she had impulsively asked him if she could come with him.

* * *

_Aang stared at her, and then at the bags clutched in her hands. "Is that such a good idea?" he asked slowly, finally, looking at her in the eyes. Katara flared up._

"_Why not?" she asked harshly. "I'm not allowed to go anywhere anymore or something?"_

_He shook his head. "No, no, it's just… what about helping the people here? We all have our place in the world now, you know," he told her gently. Katara's eyes narrowed._

"_Aang, just because you're the Avatar and have finally accepted your destiny doesn't mean that _this _is mine! Maybe I'm supposed to be somewhere else, doing something else." She let out a little sigh. "Aang, please help me, okay? Just let me do this one thing."_

_Aang nibbled his lip thoughtfully. "But… at Zuko's?" he asked despairingly. "Why?"_

"_Because I don't want to bother Sokka and Suki, and Toph—_"_ Katara stopped short. She'd been about to say 'is probably with Mai all the time' but that would be petty of her. "Because Zuko is a really good friend of mine," she continued. Katara didn't want to tell Aang that the truth was she was hoping to become a part of the whole Saving the World movement if she was with Zuko. After all, he and Aang were the biggest part in that. And Aang was far too busy to be with all of the time. Zuko was the next best thing._

_But Katara wasn't going to tell Aang that. It all seemed a bit too sad to be anything Katara would normally do. But she was getting desperate. "Aang," she said softly, stepping closer. "Come on. Let's go." And she grabbed his one hand and led him slowly over to Appa. _

_Aang didn't object, but once the two of them were in the air, he had asked the same question multiple times in a variety of different ways. "So you gave Zuko a letter?" he asked, after ones like, "Zuko knows you're coming?" "He said it was okay?" "Don't bother him too much, okay? Or, wait, don't let him bother you much, he's sort of annoying that way" and so on. Katara forced herself to smile._

"_Yes, Aang, I sent him a letter." She didn't add on the necessary 'yesterday'. _

"_Oh, good." He smiled. "Well, I won't be able to stop in, since I'm supposed to be going to Ba Sing Se, but tell him I say hi, okay?"_

_Katara giggled. "Aang, we're only halfway there. It's not like I'm getting off anytime soon."_

_Aang looked back and gave her an anxious glance. "I know," he said, and trained his gaze back in front of him. But he never explained his words, and Katara didn't ask. Sometimes she didn't want to know if Aang had trivial jealousies, just like she did. He was supposed to be better than that._

* * *

Zuko walked into the dining room to see Katara already squatting in front of the table, low to the ground. She had chopsticks in her hand and had been just about to dig into the food. But at Zuko's footsteps she glanced up with a worried expression. When she recognized Zuko she laughed, for some reason. Zuko felt embarrassed and ducked his head to hide the blush.

"What?" he asked sulkily, shuffling to take the place at the front of the table.

"Nothing," she replied simply, and began eating. Zuko blinked. It was weird, he wasn't going to lie. Usually he was the only one that ever ate at the table. To have someone else there was different. Well, Mai had eaten with him, but that had been a long time ago. At least, it seemed like it.

Zuko said nothing and began eating his own meal.

"So, is your uncle visiting anytime soon?" Katara asked suddenly, after taking a sip of tea. "Last I heard he was traveling this way."

Zuko shrugged. "Maybe. He'll come if wants." He didn't elaborate on the fact that without Iroh Zuko felt very much alone. His uncle had helped him in the first two years of his reign, but after that had drifted back to his home on the shores of the Earth Kingdom, claiming tiredness, old age, and his belly, which was steadily growing bigger again. Zuko assumed he just wanted peace from all the political strife that seemed to follow Zuko everywhere. Still, it was upsetting.

But he didn't say any of that to Katara. He took a small sip of his own tea. "So, why'd you come so early?" he asked, and Katara laughed again.

"_What_?" he growled, but Katara snorted for several more seconds.

"Sorry, it's just… the Fire Lord… sleeping in." She giggled. "I thought you were an early waker, Zuko! At least, back when were traveling—"

"Yea, well, that was before I had to stay up until sunrise trying to decipher politician's letters," he snapped moodily. There was a pause, and then Katara silently began to eat again. Zuko didn't say anything and silently ate his food at lightning speed.

"So, I've got to leave tomorrow."

Katara jumped at his words. "What? Why?" He watched her face. She looked… excited for some reason.

"To Ba Sing Se. Aang's going there too, right?" She nodded in confirmation. "Yea, well, I'll be gone for three or four days, maybe."

Katara smiled. "So what're you doing?"

He shrugged. "Boring stuff. Signing papers, discussing treaties, trying to calm angry regions…" Zuko grew suspicious and looked up at her. "Why?"

She shrugged. "No reason."

"You're not coming," he said in a forceful tone, but also a childish one. He sounded like he had when he was sixteen.

Katara frowned. "I wasn't planning on it," she spat.

"Good," Zuko said gruffly.

"I'm not hungry anymore," Katara said and stood up roughly, stomping out of the room. Zuko frowned into his plate of food. Did Katara think his advice had been an invitation to join in on his Fire Lord business? Well, it wasn't. _He _was Fire Lord, not her, so she should know her place and stay back. It wasn't as if Toph was trying to be the Avatar-in-training with Aang or anything, so why did Katara think she'd get to do something like that? She could live a perfectly fulfilling life doing something else, he decided firmly.

But why was it that her words were the ones that always irritated him the most? With a disgruntled sigh, Zuko set his chopsticks down. Somehow, talking with Katara made him lose his appetite.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Totally forgot trip between Fire Nation and Ba Sing Se is like a month (I shortened it to 2 weeks, the boats work speedily for the Fire Lord, haha). Ssshh… also, don't worry, I will definitely bring up everything that happened in the series finale and tie it up and explain it all. But things must unfold slowly. Heehee. Sorry it took me so long to update!

PS: my repeated sentences about slow politics are intentional, so no one asks about it. Haha.

**Disclaimer: **Bryke's.

* * *

Toph was excited that Aang was coming to Ba Sing Se. She'd just seen him two weeks ago at that ball, but it was still thrilling to meet up with old friends. She'd spoken to the entire gang at that dance, but only with Katara for a few seconds. Toph had decided long ago Katara was just like her element: she slipped and slid around until you finally just gave up on catching her.

And Zuko. Toph stopped folding a shirt in her hands and smiled quietly to herself. It had been difficult to find him at the party (he and Aang were busy the rest of the night with leaders and whatnot), but when she'd heard her voice it had made her happy. Not just friend-happy, but something else.

She smothered her face in the folded shirt, breathing it in and (probably) blushing. That's what it felt like anyway. It wasn't like she was in love with him or anything, good grief, no way. But being around him made her happy.

And the only person who seemed to realize she was a girl was Mai.

Their friendship had started off rather oddly. Back in the day when Mai and Zuko had been a couple, and they had just defeated the Fire Lord, the two of them had gotten into an argument over Fire Nation ways, and in the end Toph and congratulated her on her spunk, and for some reason this pleased Mai. So they'd been friends ever since.

Mai seemed to understand her tough exterior in ways that Katara had never recognized. Katara had seen her as brash, annoying, sometimes ignorant. And it was true; she was all of these things. But not just those. Mai seemed to hide behind something as well, although it was on a pretty different level. But it was still the same thing, and Toph had felt an immediate connection.

Toph hadn't told Mai about how happy being around Zuko made her.

But somehow, she knew Mai understood. And Mai didn't persecute her for it, which was always nice to know. After all, four years was a long time ago. And what happened afterwards, well… also a long time ago.

She stood up and threw the shirt on her bed. Hesitantly, she ran a hand through her hair. She'd asked Mai to cut it for her, and she wished she could see it. Mai had called it 'beautiful', but Toph wondered if she could ever be such a thing. She felt more like a guy than anything… or at least, she had.

Ever since moving back to Ba Sing Se (rather unwillingly) her mother had decided it was time to make her a girl. Toph didn't know if this was her mother's coping mechanism or if it was her idea of a way to trap Toph at home, but either way she was getting compliments from everyone the last year or two. A guy—she couldn't remember his name—had even snuck onto their grounds one night and kissed her. She hadn't thought it was horrible, but it was odd for her. She could never see another person's lips; to feel them was bizarre.

One more day, and Aang and Zuko would be there. She'd offered them the house to stay, and while her parents had argued vehemently with her (the people who stole her, the people who brainwashed her), in the end she won the fight with a threat of leaving. She knew it was low, but she wasn't going to let her friends stay in Ba Sing Se without her around. So, grumpily, her parents had given in. The new Earth King had had no objections, which was great. Toph hadn't been able to speak properly to either of them in almost a year. It was about time.

She smiled happily to herself. There were rare moments for her to be happy anymore. But this was one of them.

* * *

"Toph!" And Katara enveloped her in a hug that was, scientifically speaking, warm. And yet, Toph felt a chill run down her spine.

"Katara!" she cried back, and hugged her friend. After all, they were still friends. She thought. No, of course they were. There were some things time couldn't destroy, or bend, or break… right?

"So, this is a bit of a surprise…" Her voice drifted as she felt Zuko and Aang walking up behind Katara, like her bodyguards or something. Toph made sure to glare subtly in their direction.

"Not my fault," Zuko said immediately, and Toph wondered why. Seconds later, she found out.

"Hey, Zuko, she's with you." Aang's voice was cheerful, but there was an edge to it only Toph could probably hear; she was blind, they were not, and therefore her other senses were bound to heighten.

"With you?" Toph echoed, trying her toughest to sound—well—tough.

"I paid Zuko a visit. I decided I'd had my fair share of the Southern Water Tribe. Gran-Gran and Pakku can take care of things from here." Katara was still standing beside Toph, and she brushed Toph's hair with her fingers. "I love your hair," she said quietly, girl between girl.

Toph felt a tiny smile on her face. "Thanks," she said, pleased. And then suddenly, she thought over Katara's words. "That makes sense," she agreed neutrally, but inside she was irritated and, on some level, jealous. Once Toph too had left her home in an instant, just as Katara had done now… _twice_. So why was it that Toph knew it was nearly impossible to leave the second time? Not fair.

The three voices jabbered on around her. She faintly understood Zuko was arguing with Katara for coming, but she kept saying he was the one who had given in to her point of view; Zuko reminded her she had just yelled, that was it. And Aang was trying to calm them down, as usual.

It was sort of annoying. But then again, it was almost like old times. All that was missing was Sokka's stupid cheerfulness, and that Toph could easily go without. So this was good. It was fine. It was okay.

But Katara made her nervous.

* * *

It was true that technically Katara shouldn't have come. She wasn't a leader, nor was she the Avatar. She wasn't a politician, or a diplomat, or even an aggravated rebel. Katara was just Katara, trying to be a part of changing the world. And somehow she'd wormed her way into the trip to Ba Sing Se.

When she thought back to it later that night, when she was lying on Toph's bed (Toph had left without a reason, but Katara was used to it), it had been pretty easy.

At first, Zuko had firmly refused. He wouldn't look at her, wouldn't acknowledge her, and if he saw her at the end of the hall he would whirl around and stomp furiously away. It bothered Katara. It annoyed her. How dare a Fire Lord act like such a baby? But she knew Zuko, and knew he would never change completely. And maybe that was okay.

After a day of silent avoidance, Katara knew it was enough if she wanted to go on that trip with him. So she'd snuck up to his chambers and sat down on the stiff bed with the sheets that were obviously changed everyday, but probably seldom used. Or maybe just not used with care. She surveyed the room: it was large, and burgundy, and somehow empty even though she was lying on the largest bed she'd ever laid eyes on. At the foot was a memorial set up for a woman, a beautiful woman, that she'd noticed walking in. She had assumed it was his mother, and decided not to say anything.

A sigh. "What're you doing here?" he asked from the door. It was late, and she assumed he'd been about to sleep. Indeed, he'd disposed of the fancy robes that came with being Fire Lord, and was down to a loose shirt and pants. "I need to sleep."

"I need to come with you." Katara sat up, cross-legged, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. She was in no joking mood. Katara realized this was vaguely reminiscent of her scene with Aang only a day ago. How was it fair that she always had to fight for what she wanted?

"To… sleep?" he asked, a bit worriedly. Katara rolled her eyes. For a Fire Lord, he was dim at times.

"To Ba Sing Se," she reminded him, and his expression changed instantly from confused to frustrated.

"No, you don't," Zuko replied wearily, but firmly. "This is Fire Lord business."

"Fine, then just let me go on your boat." She frowned at him; her hands were clutched so tightly together her knuckles were turning white. Zuko noticed that and frowned slightly. "I'll stay with Toph, I'll stay out of your way." Lying, she decided, was something she was good at. "I just need to _go _somewhere."

"Not so easy without a giant flying bison, huh?" asked Zuko with a smirk. Katara's lips pursed tightly together, and Zuko's grin faltered.

"Zuko." It felt strange to say his name. "Please." She hated the tinge of desperation her voice had, but it was no lie this time.

He stared at her. "You really want to do something so badly?" he whispered, although he was halfway across the room.

"Yes. I do. More than anything."

"So you won't just 'stay out of my way', will you?" he asked a bit tiredly. Katara nibbled her bottom lip.

"No, I can't promise that." She stood up suddenly. "But why _shouldn't _I be able to help? I saved the world just as much as you did! I chained your sister up to a _grate_, for God's sake!" snapped Katara. "I did what you couldn't—"

"I had just been struck by _lightning_!" Zuko yelled ferociously, suddenly. "I tried, and I failed, because I saved your life, so I'm sorry!" he spat.

"That's not what I was going to say!" Katara cried out, exasperated. Clearly Zuko was still touchy about the subject. "I was going to say what you couldn't _because _you were injured." She paused, and gave Zuko a chance to calm down. "I helped out just as much as you did, and just as much as Aang. After all, not all of us can spiritbend," she said with a grim smile.

Zuko couldn't smile back, and then Katara remembered that Ozai was Zuko's father. For some reason that detail was always hard for her to grasp: her concept of Zuko and Ozai were now so completely, utterly different from one another. But she could see in Zuko's expression and the hunch of his shoulders that he knew very much Ozai was still his father.

"S—Sorry," she added nervously, but Zuko's shoulders rolled out a shrug. He said nothing.

"Why don't you want me to help?" she asked tensely. "Aang says it's because he doesn't want me to get hurt—"

"Well that makes two of us," Zuko finally said. "After…" He stared at his hands, thinking. Zuko spoke softly. "After Azula—and the lightning… I'm really nervous about _any _of you guys helping out with the plans. I mean, I even get scared for Aang because he's so young still—only 16—but he has to do so much, and _I _have to try, and it's enough if the both of us are in danger." His voice turned dark. "But no one else."

Katara felt a strange mixture of kindness, embarrassment, and frustration. "I can take care of myself." It was true. She was just as good at fighting as Zuko, maybe better now since she'd been training and Zuko had been stuck in offices with paperwork and diplomats.

"I know." Zuko sighed heavily. "So… fine." He waved a hand tiredly in her direction as he turned around and began to stretch his legs.

Katara perked up. "Fine?" she repeated anxiously.

"I think your advice would be—helpful." He smirked over his shoulder at her as he stretched out his left arm. "Maybe."

Katara couldn't help it. She smiled back. "It'll be the best advice ever! I promise!"

But neither of them decided to mention that out of anyone in the world, she was probably the worst one to turn to when it came to diplomacy. Katara, after all, had gained a bit of Zuko's short temper over the years; Zuko had gained her patience. It was a trade-off, but not so good in some places. Zuko was a bit worried Katara would get frustrated with how slowly politics worked; Katara was a bit worried that she would get frustrated with how slowly politics worked.

But in the end, she was just happy.

* * *

Toph had escaped the room as soon as she could. She didn't understand why suddenly being around Katara made her tense. She couldn't see her, and maybe that was part of it. She never knew exactly what expressions Katara was making in the silence, nor how she looked now. Was she beautiful? And Toph knew she was, and knew she was prettier than her. And never, ever, _ever _would this bother her. But for some reason, now of all times, it bothered her the littlest bit. But just the littlest.

She found herself in front of Aang and Zuko's rooms, located in the same hall. Her parents had paid the proper respects due to the Fire Lord and the Avatar (both were a bit excited to tell their society friends about their important guests, but that was the extent of their pleasure), and then had left them alone. Toph was glad.

Both doors were slightly ajar, and the two boys—men, she supposed, although Aang was the same age as her—were speaking loudly to each other from separate rooms. She stopped in confusion, feeling again with her feet to make sure. Nope, that's what they were doing. She paused to listen.

"They didn't like our suggestion about keeping Earth Kingdom armies on the border for a period of five years," she heard Zuko say loudly from his room. She felt him pacing and back and forth. Why wouldn't he just go to Aang's room? She sensed Aang sitting on the floor, cross-legged, and understood he was thinking deeply about the situation. She smirked to herself. What an odd way to discuss politics.

"Well I don't like it either," Aang reasoned.

"Yes, but the Earth Kingdom won't stand to just have an open pass for our nation to come in again!" Zuko yelled, but it was necessary; after all, the walls were stone.

"Well you won't invade," Aang replied, only the tiniest bit quieter.

"Yes, well, that's not exactly how peace treaties work, is it?" Zuko snapped moodily. "Someone has to feel protected, or they think you're cheating them! But the Fire Nation is insulted, the council is against it, and now I have no idea what to tell the Earth Kingdom."

"Ask them for more suggestions?" Aang said with a tinge of hope.

"This is why I'm bringing _you_," Zuko said with that familiar moodiness Toph hadn't heard in so long. She smiled warmly and sat down in the hall with her legs spread flat out. She wiggled her toes and leaned her head against the wall, closing her eyes. It was nice to hear them talk. She'd missed it more than Toph realized.

"Well…" Aang fell silent, and Zuko stewed.

Several moments later, Zuko began yelling louder. "Why can't the Avatar State do something useful and give us some lordly wisdom or something?" he snapped, and Toph felt him slam a fist, frustrated, against the wall.

"That sounds nice and familiar," she said with a smirk, loudly. Both boys started, and she felt Zuko walk quickly to his door and open it all the way. "Hey," she greeted, not moving from her position.

Zuko stared down at her. "Oh, uh—that was… embarrassing," he finally admitted quietly. Toph tried to hide her smile.

"It's okay. Politics sound boring. Uh, frustrating, I mean," she added hurriedly. The peace of the world was a good idea, but politics was just so… blah. It was the thing she tried to avoid. Everyone else seemed so gung-ho, but maybe that was because they were forced into those positions. These two, after all, had been born into it.

"Hey Toph!" Aang greeted excitedly, and Toph was pleased to hear the same tone of simple pleasure in his voice, although it was now deeper, but still dangerously on the edge of squeaking if he got too excited. "I was wondering when you'd visit!"

"I thought I'd give you some peace and quiet first," she said simply. "To plan for your big day."

"Tomorrow," Zuko told her with a heavy sigh. "I have no idea what to do."

"It's okay, Zuko!" Aang said cheerfully. "The right thing will show up soon enough."

Zuko said nothing.

"So how long are you guys staying for?" Toph asked, standing up and brushing her dress off. She hated the dress, honestly, but her mother had asked her this once to please, _please _look nice. Not that Toph could ever see it. But, out of pity for her earlier threat of leaving, she'd agreed, although somewhat aggressively.

"Four days, hopefully, if the planning goes well." Zuko shrugged. "But one can never tell."

Aang was looking around the hall, and Toph knew who he was looking for. "Katara's taking a nap," she lied. Toph had no idea what Katara was doing.

"Oh, okay." He sounded a bit disappointed.

"Yea, she was really tired," Toph continued, somewhat guiltily.

"She didn't sleep much on the trip," Zuko continued.

"That's a two week trip," Toph pointed out. "How could she not get sleep in two weeks?"

Zuko made a noise. "I don't know," he finally said. "I barely saw her. The ship is huge, I was busy…"

"Right, right, Fire Lord biz," Toph said. She stretched her arm. "Well, I suppose I'll let you buys go back to your playing."

Zuko and Aang both sighed as at the same moment they remembered what they had to try to come up with that night. Neither of them liked to look to advisors for aid; Zuko was still a bit wary of those of the Fire Nation. He wasn't exactly sure who he could trust and who he couldn't, not yet.

"Glad you're here, Toph," Zuko said. "It'd be bad enough having to stay in the castle with them too."

Toph felt flustered. So she punched him in the arm.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **I am super slow. Lalala.

**Disclaimer: **Bryke's.

* * *

Zuko had been to hundreds of these types of meetings in the last four years. Two days after he was crowned Fire Lord all the nations had called a gathering. It had been the first of many never-ending ones. At that moment when so many leaders had stood around an imposing ice table in the Northern Water Tribe, Zuko had been frozen (stuffed in a parka, but still cold) and terrified, but hopeful that the rest of the world would see that he was not Fire Lord Ozai, but someone much different.

Not much had changed. As he sat between his two advisors with the Earth King (some high-strung politician who had steadily been working his way up and took the chance when the Fire Nation fell) on one end and Aang on the other, looking somewhat pleased with himself, Zuko felt the same fear and terror as the first time, but also the same hope and need to explain himself, to _show _them the difference.

"I am here on behalf of the Fire Nation," Zuko managed to choke out. Why wasn't he used to it yet? Speaking in front of these hard-looking men and women shook him more than when he had had to speak at his coronation. "They—we feel that having guards on the borders for the next ten years is… extreme."

"Extreme?!" cried a voice from the far end. Zuko's eyes narrowed on a man in blue. His eyes were flashing dangerously, his fists clenched on the table. Zuko knew he was an advisor to the Northern Water Tribe. His bottom lip trembled as he spoke straight to Zuko. "Extreme?!" he repeated. "The Earth Kingdom has undergone your savagery for far too long! Why are you only looking at the Earth Kingdom? What about the Water Tribes? The South has been attacked and attacked for the last one hundred years, shouldn't they get protection as well?!"

Zuko stared at him. "Protection from what?" he whispered. These people were passionate and angry, and he could understand their views. But at the same time he wished they'd learn some manners, something he'd somewhat acquired over the last four years.

"It is dangerous without some kind of guards, though," said a decided voice from beside the Earth King. She was an older woman, with brown hair streaked with grey. She surveyed the table coolly, as if the thirty men around her with angry eyes didn't bother her in the slightest. "You cannot expect to walk out of the Earth Kingdom without having to give them something."

"I've agreed to pay reparations," Zuko told her seriously. "How can we expect peaceful and prosperous futures with our nations if we allow posts with guards at every channel? It brings hostility and keeps the anger rising. It's dangerous in and of itself," he voiced, feeling confidence give his voice less of a shake.

"Then what do you suggest, Fire Lord?" asked the Earth King. Zuko looked down at the man, so different than the last. He had been young and foolish and stupid. This man had silver hair, a stiffly trimmed beard and blue eyes. All of them spoke of a kind old grandfather but the frown that was always on his lips showed that he was serious… and that was good. The Earth Kingdom needed a real leader, for once. Even if it did bring obstacles for Zuko to jump over.

He pursed his lips. This is what he and Aang had discussed. He cast the Avatar a glance, and Aang nodded the tiniest bit. Zuko stood up on the spot, preparing, breathing quickly, growing nervous.

"Obviously, the three nations need protection, or the people won't feel safe. There could be uprisings, rebellions… things like that. So guards can be posted, but what about on just the obvious ways into the Earth Kingdom? The three main channels into the mainland, and several posts on the shore facing the Fire Nation. For the Water Tribes, perhaps guards at sea? If that's too dangerous, just several surrounding the area… but really, I think you must have those already." He looked at the Water Tribe advisor, and he glanced guiltily at his feet. "We can truly _compromise _on this situation. It may take work and effort, but I believe it can be done."

"Compromise? You shouldn't be allowed to compromise!" cried the governor of a northern province in the Earth Kingdom. "It wasn't _our _countries that wreaked havoc and brought war to the world; it was not _our _countries that destroyed the balance of the nations! How dare you claim that we must compromise? It should be you that is begging for our forgiveness!" He looked ready to spit; there were giant bags under his eyes. Zuko gave him a helpless glance.

"I promise you, all the Fire Nation wants is a peaceful alliance with everyone—"

"Says the son of Ozai," scoffed a voice from someone Zuko couldn't see. He paled.

"I am nothing like him," he managed in an embarrassing squeak. He felt his palms sweating.

"The apple never falls far from the tree!" taunted another voice Zuko couldn't see. He was mortified. How was this politics? Why did everything go wrong for him? He was ready to scream, and yell, and shoot fire at the roof and yell some more. But instead he clenched his fists, breathed quietly out of his nose, and then Aang spoke.

"Everyone, everyone! Please, no need to get angry." He was standing in his spot, hands held out as if nearby birds would come at his bidding and rest on his hands. "The elements are meant to work harmony, and so shall their people. There are several different approaches to this situation…"

So Aang took charge.

And Zuko collapsed into his chair, mortified and angry and sad.

* * *

Katara was bored. She'd been so tired from the journey and the lack of sleep that the night before she'd fallen asleep sooner than she'd anticipated and woken up late the next morning, Zuko and Aang gone several hours before.

She'd been furious but knew that Zuko would have been delighted that she avoided tagging along with them. Aang didn't know about her want to help them out. She felt too embarrassed to talk to him about it, like he might laugh at her for being silly or something. She couldn't stop thinking about his words that 'everyone had their place in the world'… like Katara was a child or something.

She had eaten breakfast alone, with only a servant as company. She'd tried to chat with her but the girl had run off in a panic, as if Katara might curse her or… kidnap her. That was it. Toph's parents had probably fed the staff lies. That's why she saw them vanishing whenever she spotted one.

Katara decided to go to Toph's quarters and visit her. Since it was too late to go to the castle she might as well catch up with Toph, even if it would be somewhat uncomfortable. That thought itself was frustrating. Why should it be uncomfortable?

"Trust me, Toph, it looks great."

"Really?"

"Why are you so worried? You never cared before."

"Oh, well, you know. No reason. I _am _a girl, you know."

"I know, I know!" Chuckles. Katara recognized that voice. She stopped; sped up; slowed down. The low, raspy voice was Mai's, she was certain. Zuko's past girlfriend, the one who had chased her and her friends back when they were all still so young. She knew they had become friends, but to hear them talking and laughing about things Katara and Toph had never even laughed about (except maybe twice) it was… bizarre. Painful, almost.

"Oh…" she heard Toph whispering something, and then suddenly the smaller girl was in front of her, looking up at her as if she saw Katara. "I felt you out here! Why didn't you just come in?"

"Ah, well, you sounded… busy…" Katara frantically flicked through excuses in her head: laundry? Nope, no need to do laundry here. Research? Go feed Appa? Go to the castle? Go to the castle!

"I was actually just going to tell you—" Katara began at the same time Toph grabbed her arm and drug her inside her room.

"Katara, this is Mai! A reintroduction of sorts, since the last time you met probably wasn't on very good terms." She smiled like she was proud of herself. Proud! Of being friends with Mai! That—that—Katara looked at her. She was different than how she used to be: her hair was short, to her ears, and her clothes were less gloomy (but she seemed to hold onto that burgundy shade). She had the same long nose, the same dark eyes… yes, she looked friendlier, and happier, but Katara felt that same suspicion and anger she'd always felt for her. Being in front of her and knowing that she was now the new best friend of Toph (or something) just made those feelings double.

"Hi," Katara said shortly. Looked at her shoes. It wasn't actually supposed to exist. She'd built up their friendship in her head, almost believed it to be false, a figment of her imagination… and yet here it stood, in front of her, full of giggles and smiles. Very concrete.

"Hello," Mai responded in her usual slow manner. "Zuko spoke quite a bit about you."

Katara snorted. "Not at all good."

"He appreciates you," Mai said. Katara's annoyance flared.

"I honestly don't care what Zuko thinks of me." Her voice was shaking. She saw Mai glance worriedly at Toph, although the girl couldn't see it. She was frowning into the ground, arms crossed in front of her. Katara saw what Mai had been complimenting: a jade necklace strewn around Toph's neck. It looked so out of place. So… feminine. Katara saw Toph growing up right in front of her.

"Oh… sorry." Mai didn't sound all that sincere. Katara glanced up at the girl and wondered briefly what had destroyed her two-year relationship with the Fire Lord. She felt a vicious sort of gladness over the fact that Mai had hopefully been hurt by it. She decided she'd congratulate Zuko next time she saw him.

"Well, as I was saying, Toph, I'm just going to go to the castle… see how the meetings are going." She made her voice light, airy. Happy. "So I'll talk to you later, okay?" Without a word to Mai (Katara was still a jerk, and she knew it) she slipped out of the room and nearly ran down the hall. There was an odd mixture of frustration, hurt, and embarrassment on how she'd acted.

"Katara! Wait up! Katara, just _stop_, would you?" Toph snapped. Katara had ignored her yells for several strides but finally stopped abruptly in the hall. Toph walked up beside her.

"What is your problem?"

"Nothing." Katara kept her voice calm, knowing Toph could hear more in a voice than the average sixteen-year-old girl. "Nothing."

Toph looked sad, which made Katara feel uncomfortable. "I know that Mai wasn't exactly a great person before, but neither was Zuko, you know."

"Why do people keep bringing Zuko up?!" Katara cried in an exasperated voice.

"Because you're really close with him now! And don't try to hide it, you two are really good friends. So… can't you give Mai a chance, like you gave Zuko one?" She sounded so sad, so earnest. Katara frowned and squinted her eyes. Mai. Who would've seen that friendship coming?

"Mai didn't take a lightning bolt for me," Katara finally let out in her shaking voice. "And nothing's wrong." With that obvious lie as her parting statement, Katara turned and walked away.

Toph didn't follow her any further.

* * *

After waiting for a carriage to come pick her up (half an hour) and getting through the horrible traffic of Ba Sing Se (an hour), and then trying to get through the huge security at the castle (another hour), Katara finally found herself in the main entrance of the castle. To show the guards that she was permitted inside hadn't been all that difficult; the day before Toph had handed them all signed passes from the Earth King allowing them entrance. The guards had all been suspicious though, and that's what had taken so long.

Now that she was inside, Katara didn't quite know where to go. Her anger from two and a half hours ago had dissipated, and now she just felt disappointed in herself. Trying not to think about it, Katara rubbed at her necklace (a nervous habit) and began to struggle her way through the maze of corridors to the meeting room.

"Sorry, Ma'am, but unless we have positive identification and permission for you to pass—"

"How can you not let me pass?" Katara asked for the fifth time. "I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I helped the Avatar and the Fire Lord and—others—_save _the world! How am I possibly not allowed in for a political meeting?" It was so trivial compared to what she'd done! How come these guards were being so ridiculous?

The tall man glanced nervously at the other two behind him, who shrugged helplessly, casting Katara wary glances. She glowered at them. The meeting was just happening at the end of the hall! How could they not _know _who she was?!

"This isn't fair!" she finally told the man, growing desperate.

"I'm sorry—" he began, but his apology grew silent in her mind when her anger was suddenly pushed out by something else, something horrible. Self-pity. It was Katara's enemy. If there was one thing she despised it was feeling sorry for herself. Katara stared at the man, and without another word trudged down the hall. Stopped. Turned around.

"When the Avatar gets out of that room, you better tell him Katara is waiting by the fountain!" she yelled at him, pointing a finger threateningly. "Then you'll see."

As she turned the corner she heard them muttering about, 'possible suspicious activity.' She ground her teeth together. Not fair, not fair, not _fair_.

* * *

"There you are!" Aang came puffing up beside Katara, looking tired. Katara gave him a funny look. Had he actually run to the fountain? She was sitting on the edge of it with her hands around her legs, bored out of her mind. She'd been wondering if the meeting would ever let out.

She didn't even ask about the guards. "How'd the meeting go? Is it over? What got decided?" she asked earnestly. Aang sat down beside her, giving her a smile.

"Just a break. This is gonna take awhile," he admitted with a little frown puckering his pale face. Katara shrugged.

"Why?"

"People are still… unbelievably angry. Zuko's not exactly sure how to make deals and compromise. None of the people are letting him go lightly on anything. I can see he's getting stressed… but so is everyone else. I'm glad to be out! That room was full of negative energy." Aang rolled his neck back and forth on his shoulders.

"Are you feeling okay?" Katara asked him worriedly, scooting over beside him and clasping his hand lightly. "It's not stressing you out or anything, is it?"

Aang didn't answer right away. The two were almost completely alone in the courtyard. There were manicured trees around them, and the odd servant drifted through with their shoes slapping against the stone tiles. But otherwise it was very quiet.

"It's hard. It's a lot of work. But I knew that. I think." He smiled over at her almost worriedly. Katara gazed back at him nervously.

"I don't want this making you sick, or anything," Katara warned him.

"It won't." Katara realized they were the same height. Oh.

"If you need a break, don't be afraid to take one." She sounded like a mother.

Aang patted her hand kindly. "I can't, Katara. I'm the Avatar. Trying to make peace is my life's duty!" His words were spoken nicely, but Katara felt the sting of them. He was the Avatar. Oh right. He was _useful _to the world.

"How long are you on your break for?" she asked.

"It's about an hour or two. Give them some time to cool off."

"Where's Zuko?" she asked after a moment of comfortable silence.

"I'm not sure. We spoke outside the room for a few minutes, and then he said he needed air." Aang shrugged. Katara stared at the open halls that surrounded the courtyard on all four sides. If Aang was getting overworked, how did Zuko feel?

* * *

Zuko had, in fact, been headed toward the courtyard for some air and peace and quiet. He needed to think, away from his advisors and even away from Aang. Things in the meeting had gone horribly downhill. Everyone was adamant on arguing against Zuko just because he was the Fire Lord. No one approved of his ideas, no one approved of anybody else's ideas… it was all a mess.

He was on the fourth floor of the castle and was just headed for the staircase that led to the courtyard, when he stopped short upon seeing Aang and Katara sitting close beside each other on the fountain. Zuko stopped where he was, watching them. He didn't realize how bizarre it might look if one of them happened to glance his way. He was too far up anyway, he decided. The two of them were so wrapped up in each they probably wouldn't notice anything else.

Zuko felt an unfamiliar pang of loneliness. Even living in the castle alone hadn't really brought about much loneliness. Rather, it had been peace. But he forgot about things like that, things like hugging and holding hands, being so close you could hear the other person breathe. He thought of Mai, and missed her. Just the tiniest bit.

He didn't miss _her_, actually. He missed the knowledge of knowing that someone was there for you, different than a friend, different than a comrade. Seeing those two being all lovey-dovey made him half-miss that feeling.

Seeing Aang and Katara made him stew over the incident with Mai. It hadn't been much, really. There was no big scandal, no giant heartbreak or bitter anger on either side (which was the bigger surprise). After two years, Zuko had become too taken in by the work he was forced to do, and Mai had tried being supportive, he knew that now. But back then it had felt suffocating and maddening. They had argued many times, just purely out of stress not related to each other. She got sick of his angry attitude, and he got tired of her overbearing helpfulness, which really hadn't been more than a comforting hand or a word or two to share. But he had been half-crazy with pressure of his new life, and had had to end it. Mai had cried; Zuko had cried. But in the end, it was more anxiety off both of them. But Zuko had nearly forgotten that warm feeling that came with being in a relationship.

With a heavy sigh, he turned around and walked away.

It didn't even occur in the meeting room, which was what really got to Zuko whenever he thought about it later. If it had been spoken with thirty other politicians, maybe Zuko could've kept his temper.

Sadly, it happened in a corridor that Zuko walked down by chance.

And sadly, Zuko didn't keep his temper.

He was walking, thinking moodily about Mai and Katara and Aang and the meeting, when he passed by the Northern Water Tribe advisor from earlier. He barely registered the man and the several others around him. They were just others on a break, just like him. Zuko tended to forget about the anger and hatred once they were outside of the meeting room. Usually they all treated each other with respect once they were out in public. To save face, or something. Zuko never really understood it.

But the man was clearly still upset about something Zuko had said, done, or maybe not done. He spoke loudly to his companions. "So Ozai is still in prison, I hear. Four years later, and still no trial… I think it's rather suspicious. Why hasn't he been tried yet?" The other snickered as Zuko passed; some nodded seriously. The man spoke a bit louder. "I think his son is just too scared of his scary big daddy, that's wh—"

The laughter that had started from this last comment was cut short when Zuko suddenly, rashly, horribly barrelled through them with a ragged cry. In one swift movement he stuck his hands out in front of him and slammed the advisor up against the wall, pinning him several inches above the ground. His feet flailed uselessly, his eyes large and panicked, darting around for escape. The others stared from behind Zuko, whose own eyes were large with some sort of craziness. He was breathing heavily.

"I am not scared," he hissed, slamming him against the wall again at the last word. "Don't you know? The law. Takes. Time." At each word he tightened his grip on the man's neck just a little more. "Learn some etiquette." Zuko forced himself to let go, and the man fell to the ground, choking on air as he struggled to swallow it. Zuko stared down at him, tempted to kick him until his face bled, until he begged for mercy. His was so angry his entire body was trembling.

With no more words he turned and ran down the hall like an ashamed little boy. Once he turned the corner he slammed his fist into the stone wall. It did nothing but make his knuckles bleed. He stared down at them, horrified.

What had he just done?


	5. Chapter 5

There weren't that many in the room. Six, including the man in the corner who was hastily writing all that was being said with ink on parchment, his brush creating the strokes of the characters as quickly as if they were appearing all by themselves.

One long table, maple wood and veneered until it glowed stood in front of Zuko. Behind it sat four people: the Earth King, Hakoda, the leader of the Northern Water Tribe, and a newly appointed Fire Nation general (who was really from the Earth Kingdom; it had been what Zuko had hoped a helpful move in bringing peace, but at the moment he was scared he'd made a mistake); and standing to the side was Aang: a necessary part of the judgement, but not quite the same as the others (the general being the only woman among them).

Zuko heard the _swish swish _of the brush as the man wrote down the words that had been said only seconds ago: _"We have decided."_

The sweat that had been gathering in his palms was dried as Zuko rubbed his hands hastily against his cotton pants. "O—Okay," he choked out in a whisper. He couldn't help but flicker a panicked gaze to Aang, who stood against the wall without expression. That scared him even more. Licking his dry lips, Zuko looked back up at the four leaders who watched him grimly. He breathed heavily through his nose. He'd done all he could: explained his side, apologized to the man and his friends, and these people. But they were using every chance they could to take him down, and he was truly afraid he had just ruined everything he'd risked his life for, his friend's lives for, in one swift move.

* * *

_Two days earlier…_

* * *

"A trial?! A _trial_?" Zuko slammed the door open in Katara's room in the Bei Fong household. She jumped on the bed and whipped around with her hands ready to snap the water out of her washing bowl and defend herself if necessary; but when she saw Zuko her hands fell limply to her side. Carefully, she crossed her legs and watched him passively.

"What are you talking about?"

Zuko looked half-crazed. He had taken his hair out of its usual knot at the top of his head, as if he needed to relieve the pressure. His clothes were mussed, his eyes were bloodshot, and his hands were shaking as he stumbled around the door. Katara felt concern.

"Zuko, what's—"

"Me! _Me_!" He let out a gust of false laughter and pointed to his chest as he spoke. "Me! The Fire Lord! I've gotten myself on trial! In two days! Am I not brilliant? No wonder Uncle thought I was the best one for the job. Honour… HA!" He grinned. "Does a man with honour attack a fellow man with the same goals and slam his head against a stone wall? Over and over again?" he added rubbing his face with his hands viciously. He spoke again, voice muffled. "Does a man with honour let a snide remark about his horrible, horrible father get to him? Does a man with honour let the little boy Avatar take over his job for him because he's too weak? Does a man with honour get himself in trouble when he's trying to protect his _nation_?"

Katara heard mounting hysteria in his tone. She quickly slid off of the bed and stepped toward him, grabbing his wrists and trying to pry his hands away from his face. "Zuko, what's wrong with you? Would you explain? _Why _are you on trial?"

Zuko wouldn't move his hands, but after a tense moment where Katara refused to let go and Zuko refused to bend to her will, he spoke, hands still hiding his face. "I… A man from the meeting—it was bad, it went so badly—on the break—we never finished, anyway—he was saying something about Ozai… how it was _suspicious _he wasn't on trial yet. For destroying the world, you know." He laughed. "I don't know why I reacted. It's a common wonder among people. But all _morning _the people in the meeting had acted like children, calling names and—and just attacking mercilessly! I snapped, and… and…" his voice dropped several decibels so Katara had to strain to hear him. "I hurt him."

Katara felt her stomach clench. "Hurt? How bad is 'hurt', Zuko?"

He didn't answer. "Zuko."

"…I sort of lifted him up by the neck and hit his head on the wall a few times." It was all spoken very quickly. Katara quickly released his wrists, and Zuko dropped his hands, staring at the floor with his unruly hair covering his eyes.

"No you did not," Katara snapped, appalled. That was something sixteen-year-old Zuko would have done… not twenty-year-old Zuko.

"I did," he whispered.

"You're on trial. On _trial_."

"Yea."

"And what, don't they usually take months?"

"Well, the world leaders are all here anyway, and… and special case, I guess."

"ZUKO!" Katara suddenly yelled, and he flinched at the sharp edge of her voice. She began to pace, gesturing wildly as she did so. "How could you _do _this? You're threatening your position as Fire Lord! For such a stupid act you could get yourself thrown in prison! Then who would take over the Fire Nation? You're risking our one chance at peace in this lifetime with your blatant stupidity!" She cut her arms in the air to prove a point, but in the same gesture the washing bowl on her stand shattered and the rose-scented water came spraying out, falling to the floor and creating puddles.

Zuko stared at the shards of the bowl with a pained expression. He avoided Katara's glare. "I know."

"How could you be _irresponsible_?" she chided. "I would expect this of a five-year-old boy who didn't know better, but you should understand these proceedings by now!"

"I know!" Zuko finally roared back, but Katara didn't budge from her position a foot away from him. He stepped closer with an outraged expression. "You don't think Aang gave me this exact same lecture on the way over here from the palace? You don't think the disgusted and disappointed expressions of everyone else in that meeting room didn't affect me? That when the man came to me with blood on his face and a bruise on his eye and apologized, I didn't feel guilt _swallow _me? Of course I know what I did was wrong and childish! I acted on impulse, I acted stupidly, but Katara that is who I _am _sometimes and it's hard! It's hard to fight against it and be polite and smile and act like I'm okay with it when I am _not_! But I feel bad, I feel horrible, and I'm terrified!" His face changed drastically from anger to an expression of pain. "I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me now." This sentence was softer than his previous outburst, and Katara felt a pang of guilt. Zuko deserved a good yell, but even she could see he was exhausted with himself.

"So why did you come here?" she asked softly, looking at the floor and avoiding that face with that sadness she didn't understand. "To my room?"

"I want your help," he said in a pleading voice. "You know lots of things. You know your father, he has to judge me."

Katara's face snapped up at him. "What, you want me to convince him or something? Why is he doing it anyway?"

"No, no!" Zuko shook his head quickly. "It was decided after I—after what I did that the world leaders would judge me and decide my punishment for my actions. I just thought… I thought since you know how your father thinks, you might know what I can say to defend myself." He bit his bottom lip.

Katara felt a small hint of pride that Zuko came looking for her for help. "But… what about Aang? He's the one who can convince anyone of anything." Zuko was already shaking his head before she finished her words.

"He can't help me because he's a member of the judgement too." Katara gasped.

"Are they stupid? Do they honestly think Aang will judge against you?"

"I don't know. I'm scared he will. He had this—this face that wasn't even all there, not really. After he was done yelling at me, he told me he didn't know what he was going to do, that he just might judge against me for my violent actions."

Katara frowned in frustration. "I'm sure Aang was just tired. I don't think he'd ever—"

"Either way, Katara, I need your help." Zuko looked over at her with a furrowed brow. "I need to not make a fool of myself when I face them."

Katara breathed heavily, thinking, weighing the options. How would Aang feel about her helping him organize his thoughts? He wouldn't be angry, of course not, but she was afraid he would get that disappointed look in his eye when things didn't go the way he expected or wanted. She was tempted to say, 'if you take Mai away from Toph, I'll help you,' but of course she didn't. She was tempted to say, 'congratulations on destroying Mai's heart, I hope it hurt her badly,' but once again she obviously didn't speak the words she was thinking.

"Of course I'll help," she said instead, as if it was stupid of him to even ask, as if it was her obligation. He smiled, and she felt a little better.

* * *

"I'm helping Zuko think of his defence since the council believes he shouldn't have one. Which is totally unfair, by the way, but if they see you as his representation or something, then I could understand—"

"They believe Zuko should be able to defend himself properly since he _is _the Fire Lord." He looked over at her with raised eyebrows. "You don't think they'd actually kick him off the throne, do you? They need a Fire Lord who is willing to negotiate. They just think a little trick of fear will help matters." Aang slapped his book shut rather bitterly, Katara thought.

"But… doesn't he—by law—have to get a punishment?"

"Well, yea… but Zuko should know it's not going to be anything too steep."

"People have been killed for less," Katara said stubbornly. Aang gaped at her.

"_Killed_? Katara, your father is on that council!"

"Oh I know, I know!" she said suddenly, tiredly, and flopped down on the bed in Aang's room. She had disturbed his meditation hour, she knew that. Several candles were lit in the evening dusk, and he had been sitting with his eyes half-closed when she'd walked in, a dusty book open to the middle in front of him. Probably some spiritual guidance, or something along those lines. "But I'm afraid that they're going to use this as an excuse to get rid of Zuko's line from the throne and put one of their own puppets up there." She saw Aang's mouth opening to protest and she continued hurriedly. "And I _know _my dad is on that council, but one man can't fight the rest of the world if that's what they decide. _That's _what I'm afraid of."

Aang sighed heavily. Katara looked over to see him sitting cross-legged still, but his hands were now massaging his temples. "Zuko just _had _to hit that man…" He let out a light sigh from between his lips. Katara watched him silently.

"Aang, are you angry?" asked Katara, rolling onto her side and watching him carefully. After four years Aang occasionally lost his grip on the avatar state. He didn't like to talk about it, but Katara knew it was still difficult for him to channel and control all of that energy, that it was still a mess because of Azula's lightning. But he was better. He was okay.

"I'm not angry, Katara," Aang said with a small smile. "Just… very, very tired," he admitted, although his tone was light. Katara watched his face closely. Aang was exhausted all of the time now.

"It'll be over in two days, and then you can continue on with your planning, right?" Katara kept the bitterness out well, she thought. A part of things, but not quite with the action. The support, but never shown.

"Yes, you're right." Aang looked over and smiled. "Zuko is probably freaking out. You should probably go help him." His tone was slightly dismissive, and Katara knew his meditating was important, that he needed time to think. All the same, she felt swept off like some stray bit of fuzz or something.

"Sure. Good idea." She stood up quickly and walked out of the room.

"Goodnight!" Aang called as she exited.

"Night," she returned after a brief pause, where she considered replying or not.

* * *

To Katara's surprise, Mai was already in Zuko's bedroom.

She didn't see them, or anything. Just as Katara was walking into the hall that led to Zuko's temporary room and admiring the Bei Fong scrolls that lined the halls, she saw Mai swiftly walk out of a room. Panicking and embarrassed about her earlier words, Katara jumped into the nearest room (where a strange woman was snoring loudly) and kept the door half open. She sucked her body against the wall and hid in the shadows as Mai made her way through the hall like a powerful force. In a moment she'd swept by and she was gone. Katara had only caught a glimpse of her pale, determined face.

After closing the door quietly from the other side, Katara continued her trek down the corridor and felt oddly jumpy. When she saw that Zuko's door was half-open she put two and two together.

"Mai pay a friendly visit?" Katara asked as she leaned against the stone doorframe. Zuko—who had been standing and staring listlessly out of the window in the darkness—jumped at her words. He didn't turn around but instead shrugged, his back still to her.

"Not sure, really."

Katara felt irritation. Mai just seemed to be everywhere now, infiltrating everything. What next? Would she be Aang's new girlfriend?

Hurriedly she brushed the irrational thoughts from her mind. She took one step in and closed the door firmly behind her, and just as Zuko turned around at the snap of the door Katara heard words spurting from her mouth before she could control them.

"What was Mai doing here?" She stared at the door in front of her, flimsy paper and wooden rods holding it together, keeping their privacy.

"It doesn't matter," replied Zuko darkly, his voice scratchy. He'd talked too much that day.

"It does." Katara closed her eyes briefly with annoyance. Why couldn't she just drop the subject of Mai?! She'd already made Toph angry with her. She couldn't afford to have Zuko mad at her right now.

"She was just talking, okay? It's not a problem," snapped Zuko, and Katara let it drop there with a strange sense of frustration.

"Fine." She turned around and clapped her hands together once. "Right. Let's get planning your defence, shall we?" She strode over to Zuko's marble desk, where she saw a roll of parchment, a brush and ink all prepared. Katara sat down and grabbed the brush, waiting to dip it in the ink until they had an idea. "We'll jot down ideas and roughly plan it out. How much time are you given?"

Zuko shrugged. "I dunno, five minutes or something?"

Katara snorted. "Short trial."

Zuko shrugged again, but Katara didn't see it. She was staring intently at the parchment in front of her. "Well, you were goaded into it."

"I shouldn't have been though!" Zuko cried in annoyance. "I was so stupid—"

"It doesn't matter what you did now, Zuko," she told him harshly. "We have to focus on how to tell them the truth, but so they let you stay on the throne."

There was a brief pause. "Not like you to lie," he finally said gruffly.

"It's not lying!" Katara replied in a high-pitched voice. "It's not lying at all. We're telling the truth, and the truth is what is going to save you. It's not half as bad as the rumors that are probably circulating around all your politician friends at the moment."

Zuko sighed heavily and Katara heard a flopping sound. She assumed Zuko was lying on the bed and dipped the brush into the ink. Taking a second to think, she lifted the brush and wrote out several quick strokes.

"He attacked your policies at managing your nation outside of the council," Katara read. "Okay. Next."

Zuko made a disgruntled noise, and then Katara heard his muffled voice (probably pushed into a pillow) waft toward her. "Teased me."

"Well we can't use that as a proper defence," Katara said a bit scathingly.

"Then you just think of everything!" Zuko's voice was sharp and clear. Katara turned in her seat to see him staring at her angrily, a pillow in his hands as he lay on his stomach on the bed, feet splayed over the edge like a child. Biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing (she didn't really understand why) Katara turned quickly back around to face the parchment.

"I can't do that, I wasn't there," she said a bit more gently than before. "You need to help me out Zuko."

After a heavy sigh, Zuko began to explain the whole scene calmly, scene by scene, word by word.

And Katara wrote things down.

* * *

_Day before the trial: early morning_

* * *

"Zuko is completely and utterly stubborn!" shouted Mai the instant she snapped open Toph's door. Toph had been practicing Earthbending moves, but at Mai's sudden yell she snapped up straight, somewhat embarrassed. She felt like she was caught cheating or stealing. It still felt weird to bend near Mai, having remembered fighting her with it. Toph didn't like feeling ashamed of her bending, but it only happened once in a while.

"He always has been," Toph reminded her, sitting down on the floor suddenly without much thought. She felt Mai's body pacing the floor, her skirts swishing against her legs. Toph thought of Zuko, and it made her smile quietly. She pulled her knees up to her face to hide her grin. Honestly, sometimes she hated being a girl.

"Yes, well, now he is just being ridiculous! He got himself on trial!"

Toph had heard about it from Aang. She nodded along thoughtfully. Somehow, she knew it wasn't too large of a problem. Or maybe she just didn't fully comprehend it. Politics were politics, very dull and dreary and reminded her of her family. Bleh. "He'll be okay," she told him.

"I offered him help! Support from my family in case things got rough! But he just—just brushed me away, like it didn't matter! Said he had enough help." Mai sat down on the floor beside Toph with a heavy sigh. "I don't understand that boy."

Enough help… Aang had said Katara was helping him with a plan when she'd seen Aang briefly in the hall maybe thirty minutes ago. The thought that Zuko had decided Katara's advice was enough help for a trial against the world leaders made her feel the tiniest bit jealous. She hated it. Toph dug her face deeper into her knees.

"He'll be fine."

Mai sighed again.

"What, do you still like him?" asked Toph, maybe a bit more harshly than she meant. There was a silence.

"No." Mai was tapping her long fingernails on the floor as she thought. "No, definitely not. We're too much alike to be compatible." She laughed quietly.

"If Katara's helping him he'll be okay."

Mai was silent for a moment. Toph wished—for the millionth time—she could see expressions. "Katara?" she repeated blankly. "The girl who yelled at me?"

"Yup." Toph recalled Katara's snappy words from the day before, but wasn't as angry as she'd usually be. More than anything, Toph was confused and just the smallest bit guilty. Had she left Katara behind to dream of the world they used to have while she had moved on and made new friends? "Together they're unstoppable. 'Liquidy hot offence.'" Toph giggled to herself.

"What is that supposed to mean?" snapped Mai.

"Nothing." Toph shrugged. "It's just… old day… stuff."

The quiet that ensued was somewhat suspicious. "Well, I'm sleepy," Toph said suddenly with a slightly exaggerated yawn. After some fuss, Mai finally left the room and Toph decided she was tired of this weird silence that was between her and Katara. With sudden determination, Toph waited until Mai's footsteps faded and she went to her guest room. And Toph, only in her sleeping gown, took to the halls in search of Katara.

A few minutes later she felt two pairs of feet pacing the floor in Zuko's room. Toph felt slightly ill. It was the middle of the night. She tried not to feel envious, or jealous, or anything else except resolve to fix things with her and Katara.

Toph was rarely the one to make the first move, which was why she was slightly proud of herself. To her, this was a better feeling than wearing a new necklace she couldn't even see. As she neared Zuko's room she heard their faint voices arguing.

"I can't just go up there and say that! To the world leaders!"

"Well, why not?" asked Katara defensively. "I think it's good!"

"Yea, if I want to seem like a weak, wimpy, pathetic Fire Lord. I have to have _some _power in my words, Katara, or they'll just write me off as Ozai's crazy son!"

"Oh come on, Zuko, it wouldn't be that bad—"

"Um, yes it would!"

Toph stood outside of the doorway for nearly a minute, just listening to the two and their heated arguing, their shared pacing, Zuko tapping the desk with a finger and Katara crumpling up parchment. For all their fighting, they seemed so in sync. These two had a particular rhythm that no one else really shared in their group, not like these two. Feeling suddenly hesitant and intrusive, Toph turned away. It was Katara's role to make the first move anyway. She could do it tomorrow, or something.

"Fine! If you have such issues with my ideas you can do it yourself! We've done nothing but argue the last three hours!"

"Sounds good to me!" Zuko yelled back, and just as Toph was trying to turn and run Katara came stomping out of the room.

"Wha—Toph?" Her surprised voice stopped Toph in her tracks.

"Er, hello," she muttered, not turning around. Katara shifted on the spot; Toph felt she was in her bare feet.

"Katara, why are you _still _standing outside of my do—" Toph grimaced into the ground as she felt Zuko walk over and peer out of his room. "Oh. Hello Toph."

"Good morning, Zuko," greeted Toph.

"Why are you looking the other way?" he asked, mystified. Toph shrugged and turned around to face the two older people.

"I was just leaving," she told them, muddled up. Annoyed.

"Do you want to talk?" asked Katara suddenly. Toph struggled with her thoughts before managing a jerky nod.

Katara and Zuko muttered some things; Toph heard the word 'please' slip from Katara's mouth at one point, and then Zuko left the two girls in the hall after shutting his door firmly.

Toph stared at the floor as Katara took two steps closer. Toph spoke quickly. "It's really nothing. You should keep helping Zuko. His problem is way bigger than mine."

Katara snorted. "He's being a jerk."

"He's just scared," Toph told her. "His heart is beating way too fast. He's terrified. Please help him out."

Katara was quiet. "Toph, why do you—"

"We'll talk tomorrow. Promise." Toph nodded resolutely, and then turned around and nearly ran down the hall. Half of her wanted Katara to follow, but the other half needed the girl to go back into Zuko's room and help him.

She did.

Toph was more relieved than anything.

* * *

_The trial_

* * *

"There will be no further investigation onto you keeping your throne. You will remain the undisputed Fire Lord… for the time being." The Earth King's rumbling voice caused the clenched hand that had seemed to be holding Zuko's heart released. He felt like cheering. He glanced at Aang, who was smiling pleasantly.

"But," Hakoda began, and Zuko felt a pinprick of dread, "we have decided that for the safety and comfort of the rest of the leaders, a small squad of our closest will appear in the castle, randomized throughout the next three years."

Zuko paled slightly. "To spy on me?" he whispered.

"Just to check." The look in Hakoda's eyes was slightly pitying. "To make sure that you're doing your job properly as Fire Lord, and that little… outbursts won't happen again." Zuko felt his face burn with shame at the reminder of why he was standing there.

The Northern Water Tribe leader spoke next. "We have decided that to keep the inspections a surprise is the best tactic to ensure that you are truly what you say you are, and that this one incident was but a mistake."

"It was," gasped Zuko. His argument had been somewhat feeble. The instant he'd stepped into the room everything he'd remembered and everything Katara had drilled into his memory had escaped his mind. He'd muttered out what he could remember with a some hemming and hawing, but at some points he'd spoken strong and true, and perhaps that had been what convinced them; when he'd talked of the Fire Nation, and of peace, and of his guilt for what he'd done, that was when Zuko had been the most sure of himself. Maybe it had shown.

Well, half-convinced them. Obviously not entirely.

"So, surprise inspections by a team to make sure I'm not—scheming?" The last word came out sarcastic, and he winced.

"Yes, that is the idea," the Earth King told him solemnly. "The peace treaty council will commence tomorrow."

And then, just like that, the trial was over and Zuko escaped the room unscathed.

* * *

"How'd it go?" Katara was waiting just outside the door, her hair pulled back in a braid that morning, half-heartedly to say the best. Both had gotten no sleep and had stayed awake only with tea. The dark circles under Katara's eyes surely matched Zuko's one.

"I'm—I'm okay." He quickly explained to her about the inspection team.

"Seems a bit nosey," she said huffily, and Zuko had to smirk. "But it will probably ease the minds of lots of people, especially once they see that you really aren't up to anything."

Zuko nodded. Still, the thought of surprise guests to judge his behaviour made him slightly anxious. He decided to push those thoughts to the side for the moment.

"Well, a congratulations are in order!" Katara said suddenly, but Zuko was too serious to even crack a smile.

"You know what this whole stupid thing has made me realize?" he asked suddenly, darkly, softly. He watched Katara's face grow concerned.

"What?"

He stared at her. Blinked once. "That when we get back to the Fire Nation, I am dealing with my family once and for all."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Wow, wrote this fast! Nothing action-packed happens this chapter (it never does, really…) but please bear with me! This is the fun stuff to write.

* * *

"_We_?" Katara repeated, barely comprehending Zuko's words after that. _We_. So he wasn't planning on trying to get rid of Katara, trying to dump her with Toph or something. Good! That cheered her up a bit. And then, suddenly, she comprehended the rest of his sentence.

"Dealing with them?" Katara gave him a suspicious look. "Zuko, it's only been four years, and now the rest of the nations are going to be _spying _on you. I don't know if you're in—it's sort of personal, don't you—" Katara fumbled for the right way to speak, but Zuko smirked down at her.

"I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, I won't let emotions get in the way this time." He stared thoughtfully down at her, and Katara blinked.

"What?" she snapped defensively.

"Care to walk with me?" questioned Zuko in such a surprisingly gentle voice that Katara immediately nodded and fell into step beside Zuko as they began to walk down the corridor, out to the courtyard before the council commenced.

"People in the Fire Nation—and everywhere else, I suppose—don't feel safe with Ozai only locked behind bars." Zuko shot her a sideways look that Katara noticed, but then he quickly glanced up, away. "I mean, my uncle broke out of prison. On an _eclipse_, with no _bending_. Just because Ozai doesn't have bending doesn't take away his pure physical strength. He could easily do what Iroh did, and his hunger for power hasn't waned one inch in the last four years. I think he's just biding his time."

Katara flinched at his words; they were true, and she knew it. Yet Aang had been an idealist, still was, but his move had been stupid then and Katara had wanted to tell him the day of, that it was wrong and useless. But he had been so happy and relieved that she hadn't the heart… and now Zuko brought up her thoughts but said them in an almost condescending manner. She decided she should probably defend her boyfriend.

"Aang did what he felt was best," she told him through a tight mouth. "You can't blame him for this."

"I'm not!" Zuko sounded generally shocked at Katara's assumption. The two clattered down the stone steps to reach the peace of the courtyard, isolated from the rest of the castle. "I'm just saying that since I'm the Fire Lord I should prove to everyone that I have what it takes, and not just through diplomacy which takes many, many years. They need to see I can take action now. I need their trust."

Katara was about to say something, and then paused. She realized what was happening, something that Zuko probably didn't notice. He was seeking her advice. Her! Katara! Suddenly she was privy to (almost) all of the politics of the nation, and was in a position to lead the Fire Lord to either success or failure! To feel like she was an important part of important matters sent a thrill up her spine. Katara sat down on the fountain's edge where she had been with Aang several days ago. Zuko stood standing. Annoyed, Katara stood up as well to face him with even eyes.

"What do you plan to do?" she asked seriously. Zuko felt it and looked up at her with his eyes, one normal and one just a slit. Katara was used to it now, but not to the way he pulled his hair back in that knot, like an adult or a man. In her mind's eye she always saw him as the teenager with the floppy hair and the excited nerves; but that was a train of thought for a different time.

"Ozai and Azula need to go on a proper trial, decided by a Fire Nation jury," Zuko said decisively. Katara winced, and he noticed. "What's wrong with that?" he argued.

"A Fire Nation jury? Are you sure? How do you know some of them wouldn't be corrupt?"

"Well… Well wouldn't a world jury just condemn them no matter what?"

"Zuko…" Katara looked at him pityingly. "Do you really want a Fire Nation jury to _save _those two?" Zuko was staring at her with confused eyes, like he didn't really understand the words that had just slipped out of his mouth.

"But—the people. Of the Fire Nation. They, they—would they find that just? Would they be angry if the jury wasn't just Fire Nation? You know, feel betrayed or something? I have no idea! The Fire Nation is made up of so many people, and all of them will be unhappy! It's not… I can't…"

"Okay Zuko, step one: calm down." Katara watched him anxiously. "Are you sure you want to address this problem? If it's already scaring you…"

"I'm not scared," he snapped, but Katara knew better. Just two nights ago he had come into her room begging for her help, that he was terrified. She watched him with a cool face until Zuko's gaze flickered to the ground.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" she told him a quiet voice, feeling helpful and proud of herself. "You have to get back to that summit."

Zuko made a grimace and Katara shook her head, shocked. "Zuko! You get a chance to change the future, to help the nations! How can you just—"

"Yea, yea," he cut her off with a flap of his hand. "I'll see you later, I guess." He gave her a hesitant smile, and the irritation she'd felt only seconds ago seemed to ebb away.

"Yea, maybe," she agreed half-heartedly, although she silently hoped Zuko would look for her aid again. She could help change the future.

With two quiet smiles (for two very different reasons), the friends parted ways.

* * *

This time, Katara waited until both Aang and Zuko were able to escape the meeting room before heading back to Toph's. She didn't have enough money with her for a carriage back anyway, and since no one knew who she was (she tried to think this without bitterness, really) it was best to wait since Zuko always had some money on him.

She was scared to see Toph alone, too. Although this fear she decided not to admit.

Katara walked around the area of the castle she was permitted to, which consisted of the courtyard and the corridor near the meeting. Not only were there Earth Kingdom guards, but Fire Nation soldiers periodically appeared, most likely escorting Zuko back and forth. He was rarely seen in public without a guard surrounding him. It suffocated Katara. She wondered how much it bothered Zuko, or if he'd already gotten accustomed to the narrow way of life that came with being a Fire Lord.

"Katara!" She was surprised when she felt Aang's lean body embrace her from behind. Laughing, she half-turned her head to see Aang looking over at her. Even now, four years later, he was just barely taller than her. Destined to be short, she supposed. He quickly kissed her on the temple and then she stepped back. A few years ago he hadn't cared what the public thought about him being close to Katara. But lately she'd noticed him backing off sooner, giving her space when they were near each other at gatherings or on the street. In some ways it made her sad to see Aang grow up. In others she was a bit relieved.

"I assume that means the meeting went well?" she asked, habitually straightening the cloth on his shoulder, brushing off a stray Appa hair as she glanced up at him.

"Once again, not much was decided. They went over their new terms with Fire Lord Zuko—" at these words Katara hid a smirk, "—and then there was some arguing, but in the end mostly everyone agreed. So there's the issue of dealing with their paranoia of the Fire Nation. Now we just have to settle on how to keep them happy with what we can do for their homes." His smile was bright though, and Katara took it as a good sign, even when Zuko came sweeping past them with a scowl darkening his entire face.

"Oh, he looks gloomy," whispered Katara, and Aang chuckled.

"He's always grumpy after meetings." Katara nodded, agreeing with his words.

"Well? Are you two coming or what?" he snapped from the path that looped its way through the courtyard. Aang and Katara shared another smirk before following Zuko, after Aang's attentive, "Yessir, right away Sir!" Katara couldn't help but laugh as they walked slowly behind Zuko's brisk steps.

After a quick walk to their carriage outside (followed by several Fire Nation guards on foot) they settled down for the half hour ride to Toph's mansion. Katara peeked through the back window to see the six guards settling in for a long walk. She watched them curiously. Their faces never changed expression, and their formation was always perfect. Ozai's generals had formed a good army, which was true. But there was something lifeless in their movements Katara didn't approve of.

The three sat in silence, and Katara knew not to ask them too many questions. After Zuko's extremely stressful day and the two of them talking throughout its entirety, she could understand they'd want a bit of peace. She closed her eyes and relaxed her head against the seat, feeling a nice sort of warmth seep into her bones. She had missed them both, missed being a part of the group and being… _there_. She didn't know how else to feel it.

She flicked her eyes open as the animals clip-clopped over a particularly large pebble. Her gaze found Zuko watching her. Immediately she went on the defensive.

"What?"

Zuko blinked slowly, like a reptile. "Nothing. Just…" He shrugged, fell silent. Aang was watching him now too, somewhat warily Katara noticed. "Just thinking about my past."

Silence settled.

"On the way back, are we visiting your uncle?" asked Katara curiously. "We didn't stop on the way here, but I know he'd love to see you again."

Aang perked up at Katara's words. "'We'?" he repeated with a look of disbelief. "Katara, are you going back to the Fire Nation?" His tone wasn't accusatory, only shocked. Katara blinked over at the boy sitting beside her.

"Uh, I was planning on it," she finally answered, as if it were obvious. "What, why do you look so surprised?" she asked with a hint of a chuckle.

"Well I thought… I just thought… you'd stay—with me. Now." He looked a bit put out and glanced at his lap. Katara shared a quick look with Zuko, who shrugged exhaustedly at her and closed his eyes, leaning against the seat as if he wanted to block the two of them out.

"I mean," Aang continued, having missed Katara and Zuko's brief silent exchange, "I thought you'd stay with Zuko till the meeting so we could meet up, and then you'd spend some time with me."

Katara felt her heart sinking. She wanted to. She wanted to _want _to go with Aang, and fly around with him and Appa. But at the back of her mind she knew something would be missing, and it would feel bizarre with just the two of them, or something. That knowledge made her feel all the more uncomfortable. Why was she so hesitant about spending time with her _boyfriend_?

Oddly enough, the thought had never even crossed her mind. She'd decided to go to Zuko's castle because it was an epicentre for political action. She knew for the next few months Aang would be traveling and spreading the love. At the moment that wasn't Katara's biggest hope.

"Oh Aang," she began softly, reaching for his hands and holding his pale fingers in her own darker ones, "right now I think I'm most useful with Zuko. He could really use a friend when he's not too sure about all the other Fire politicians. Trust, and things… Ozai's presence might still be there for some; it could be dangerous. You—You can handle what you're doing on your own." She gave him a small smile, but Aang looked so sad she felt guilt plaguing her. She hated that. It always happened when she had to tell Aang her thoughts.

"Well—Well I mean, I guess if you have to…" He shot a look at Zuko, but he was still lying back on his seat and seemed to have actually fallen asleep.

"It's important," she told him in a soft voice. "For everyone."

Aang nibbled his bottom lip. "But _Zuko_?" he asked so softly Katara could barely hear him.

Katara blinked. Was Aang actually insulting someone? "What about him?"

His face was troubled, and Katara linked two and two together. "Aang," she told him sternly. "Zuko and I are friends. He's one of your closest friends and allies! You shouldn't be worrying about things like this," she added in a dark whisper. Aang frowned at her.

"I can't help it," he muttered.

"Well you should start," Katara told him bossily, feeling almost ashamed (she felt that Aang should be better). "The Avatar can't let himself get all wishy-washy." Her words had been a bit harsher than necessary, but the way he was acting was so—so child-like! He should just let her do things on her own. He had trusted Zuko and Katara when they'd fought Azula, when they'd spent days alone waiting for Aang to come and find them in the castle, Zuko having difficulties breathing and Katara trying to restrain the angry Azula. What was the problem now, especially because in those days—

"I know." He glanced moodily at Zuko, who slept silently. "Just business?"

"_Aang_."

"Okay, okay!" he said with a small smile, lifting his hands in a sign of defeat. "I surrender, Katara, as always."

Katara couldn't stay annoyed when he had that playful grin on his face. "Next time I'll go with you," she promised rashly, kissing him lightly and then pulling back. She was surprised when Aang leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers longer and harder. A bit annoying—Zuko was right there, after all—but she obliged. Because she loved him. Something along those lines.

"Some of us are trying to sleep," came a disgusted mutter from the seat across from them. In a millisecond Katara had pulled away and was gazing out the window, cheeks red, lips throbbing, feeling mortified. Just how long had Zuko been awake?!

"Ah, oh, how long have you been awa—" Aang asked in a cheerful voice, cut short by Zuko.

"Long enough to hear _that_." Silence settled on the carriage again, and this time it wasn't so relaxing.

* * *

Toph had just realized that her friends were officially, for sure no matter what this time leaving in two days.

It didn't seem long enough to talk with them and catch up; she'd barely seen them their entire stay. At the same time she was glad Katara's judging glare would stop haunting her whenever she accidentally thought about her.

This thought came to her when she felt a servant walking toward her in the gardens, where she'd been idly lying on the grass in her nice dress, one of her usual small rebellions. "Yes?" she asked without moving.

"Your guests have arrived back from the castle, m'lady," whispered the woman. Toph flipped onto all fours and then onto her feet, walked swiftly through the garden path and then through her mansion. With a small sigh she walked into the entrance hall, where Zuko was just handing over his cloak to a servant.

"Hey you guys," she greeted. She turned to Zuko. "How'd your trial go, Zuko?" Like Aang, she hadn't felt any true worry about it.

"Well as good as can be," he answered with an oddly stiff voice. He walked up to Toph and lightly tousled her hair. She tried to smother a smile that was threatening to take over.

"Good! So why do you seem so frustrated?" She glanced over at Aang and Katara, who were walking up to her. She could sense Katara's hesitation, and Toph remembered having told her they'd talk later. Later, as in tonight. Agh.

"It's just been a long day," Zuko and Aang said, overlapping each other's sentences. Toph just closed her eyes and shrugged.

"Okay, whatever. You guys are gonna have a lot of long days ahead, just to let you know."

Zuko heaved a long sigh. "It feels like I've already had enough to fill a lifetime."

Toph punched his arm lightly. "You'll make it." She was going to miss this.

Suddenly she felt Katara's slim hand on her shoulder. "Toph, can I talk to you for a minute?" she whispered. Toph nodded slowly and turned and followed Katara out of the room without even a hello to Aang, or a goodbye to either of the boys.

* * *

Zuko looked icily over at Aang the instant the two girls ascended the staircase and walked down the corridor. Aang caught Zuko's look and he saw the boy give him a strange look.

"What?" he asked at Zuko's look. Hm. Apparently he had adopted some of Katara's defensive mannerisms.

"'Why _me'_?" he asked with a lilting tone. He let a tiny smile plaster his face so Aang didn't think he was trying to attack him. He wasn't, not really. But he'd had a long day with a small victory that seemed insignificant in comparison to the things he had yet to deal with. What he had heard in the carriage that day (not the making out bit, the actual talking) had made him frustrated. "You don't think Katara can be of any use to me? Or learn anything from the Fire Nation?" He idly fiddled with his sleeves, tugging them lower over his wrist. He'd have to get some new robes, he noticed.

Aang gaped at him like a fish. "I—I—"

"Come on, Aang." Zuko gave him a withering look. "I thought we were all friends. But if you don't believe that coming back to the palace with me is the best thing for Katara right now, how can I feel like everything will be okay?" He frowned. "I don't want any anger." After his previous spiteful words it seemed a little hypocritical, but lately his rage had just been passing within seconds, never lasting that long.

"Zuko, that wasn't it!" Aang told him desperately. "I just... I haven't spent time with Katara in so long. It feels like we're living totally different lives now." His young face was creased with worry lines, and Zuko felt a hint of pity for the boy.

"Katara has to do what she feels is best." His words echoed something he'd said before... he realized that he had held the same position so long ago, when Katara had hunted for her mother's murderer.

"I know." Aang closed his eyes and heaved a big sigh, as if gathering all his dark thoughts and ridding himself of them in one swift moment. "Okay. Okay, I'm sorry Zuko. I trust you with my life, you know that. You're one of my dearest friends and advisors." Zuko felt a hint of warmth gather in his face at his friend's words. It wasn't often he was reminded. "I am really sorry that you think I don't trust you. I do. I know Katara will be happy in the Fire Nation, and if Katara is happy than I'm happy." He let out a fluttery smile, and Zuko smirked at him.

"It's impossible for me to fall asleep in under a minute. Just a warning for the future." He grinned at Aang's frustrated expression.

"You should've warned me!"

Feeling a bit better with the situation, Zuko whistled a song from his childhood—although he wasn't quite sure from where—as he walked down the hall and through the doors at the end, leaving Aang alone and very embarrassed.

* * *

"We're leaving in two days, and I don't want things between us to be so weird," were the first words out of Katara's mouth once they reached Toph's bedroom. Toph was sitting on the foot of her bed, feet crossed at the ankles. Katara stood several feet away, arms at her sides. "I want things to be okay between us again."

Toph nodded. "I do too." A pause. "But Mai is still my friend, and I think you need to accept that." Crickets from outside chirped in the darkness.

Katara bowed her head, eyes closed. Thinking. "I do," she finally whispered. If Mai could help Toph the way Zuko had helped them, who was she to judge? It just made her nervous. "I know that we're separated, all of us. And I missed you. I missed being with you guys and spending time with you. I know it's normal for you to make friends. I was just—"

"You're stubborn." Toph nodded understandingly. "Katara, it's fine. Really. I don't want to be mad anymore. Agreed?"

Toph and Katara always got angry with each other so quickly, but they always seemed to know when enough was enough, and when to let it go. "Agreed."

"Besides... if I can understand you being able to leave and be a part of it all again, you can understand that I need Mai as a friend."

Katara was suddenly attacked by guilt. Toph, too, was a girl trapped by a life she didn't belong in. "Oh, Toph..." She sat beside her on the bed and gave her a tight embrace. "You can always join us when you need to. Always."

"That'd be nice... although there's that little issue with the parents that I can't just skip over like I did last time." She frowned into the floor. "But that's okay."

Katara kept her arm around Toph, for the first time feeling bad about her ability to travel where she wanted to go. She wanted to just kidnap Toph and take her with them, almost like the first time. "Wouldn't your parents think it prestigious of you to go visit the Fire Lord?" Katara asked half-jokingly. "What lordly friends you've made already! The Avatar, the Fire Lord… don't they think you're doing well? That friendships like those can help them?" The words were harsh, but that was the way Toph's parents thought and they both knew it. They wanted what would help the family gain more power and prestige; so what was better than the Fire Lord and the Avatar? This time, she didn't feel jealousy.

"That's the thing… everyone here _hates _the Fire Lord. Well, all of my parent's socialite friends do, therefore my parents do too. Zuko is trying to persuade the Earth King to tell the nobles to change something, or do something, and they don't approve." She knew Katara would ask, so she kept going. "I think donating money to help build Ba Sing Se's wall again. They claim that's his job to pay, and Zuko says that they need to share the wealth with the ones that live on the outer fringes of the Earth Kingdom." Toph shrugged, but when Katara spoke she sounded angry.

"He's trying to tell your king how to lead his country?"

Toph shrugged again. "I dunno, Katara! I mean, I just heard my parents talking and that's all I know. I haven't spoken to Zuko about it or anything… so for them having Zuko stay in the house is a huge insult."

Katara sighed through her nose. "It's his own fault."

Toph shook her head. "I think he just wants to fix the mistakes of his dad so badly that he's trying to do things that aren't his to do, you know? He wants the Earth Kingdom to prosper again after his father destroyed so much of it, so he wants the wealth that the nobles have to be spread around. I think he just feels guilty, and he doesn't quite know where the boundaries are."

"Well he should."

"Katara," Toph said with a hint of exasperation. "How come you never cut Zuko any slack? He's still learning how to be Fire Lord—his father wasn't a great example, you know—so can't you give him a break?"

Katara was shocked at Toph's sudden speech. She noticed how Toph's face was turned away, but the tips of her ears were bright red. "Toph…"

"I just want to be a good friend to him, okay? I think you should do the same every once and awhile."

Katara was taken aback, and then felt insulted. "What do you mean? I'm your friend, aren't I?" Hadn't they just gotten over that weird hump in their friendship (but not quite, Katara noticed. If either of them stopped talking now an awkward silence would settle)?

Toph smiled almost sadly, too wise of an expression for a girl of sixteen. "Not me, Katara. I meant Zuko."

Katara frowned at her, a bit disappointed in herself. "Well, I just helped him with his defence…"

"Yea, and yelled at him the entire time."

"Well he wants me to go back to the Fire Nation with him, so he can't hate me that much, right?" Katara's voice was too loud in her ears. She noticed Toph's round face puckering into a frown at her words. "Well, only because I'm helping him with advice and stuff, you know…"

Toph nodded. "I know." She stood up abruptly and the arm that had been around Toph's shoulders fell flat on the bed beside Katara. She flexed her fingers and looked at Toph, who was walking over to her door.

"You're leaving?" she asked curiously.

"Mai's meeting me out in the gardens tonight; she wanted to tell me something." She looked over at Katara. "You could join us…"

Katara stomach lurched at the mention of Mai, and then she felt queasy when Toph said she could join them. Both girls knew it would be better, easier, if she just stayed away. "Oh no, that's okay." The relief emanating from the two was almost palpable. "I'm going to go see Aang." She wasn't.

And just like that, the awkward silence settled in. "Well, see you tomorrow. You're staying here, right?"

Katara nodded stiffly. "Yes, probably." As much as she wanted to be there, she didn't just want to wait and be pathetic. At least here no one would be watching her. "See you," she said as Toph slipped through the doorway.

* * *

Moments later Katara determinedly stomped over to Zuko's room in the guest wing and slid open the paper door without asking. She saw him lying on the bed, his royal clothing still on, half-asleep. "Mmgh? Katara? What're you…" He rubbed at his eyes with the heels of hands, struggling to sit up. The garb proved to be too heavy though, and he collapsed back into a lying position. "I was just… tired…"

Katara grinned and stepped inside, closing the door as she always seemed to when she visited Zuko's room. She turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, hands crossed stiffly on her lap. Beside her Zuko watched her with his good eye, his scarred one pressed into the bed. "You don't have to move," she told him as he struggled once more to stand up, "but that looks pretty uncomfortable."

Zuko shrugged. "It's silk lining. Pretty nice."

A short silence fell. Katara shifted on the spot, thought about Toph's earlier words and her pink ears. "You know that I think of you as a friend, right?"

Zuko's eye blinked slowly. "Well I'm letting you stay at the palace. I don't usually do that with non-friends."

Katara felt her anxiety bubble up at Zuko's sad attempt at humour. "I just wanted you to know. That I appreciate you. And your willingness to try and be the new Fire Lord and work through the tough times." The words poured out of her mouth in a garbled mess. "Okay?"

Zuko's head nodded.

Katara nodded too. There. She'd done what Toph had pretty much ordered her to do (in her nice Toph voice, which she always used after an argument). "So…" She took another breath and looked at him. "Since you know I'm definitely on your side, I can say this: stay out of the Earth Kingdom's business."

Zuko finally managed to roll his upper half up and he sat, cross-legged, beside Katara. He gave her an outraged look. "What're you talking about?"

Katara glared at him, hands still crossed. "I mean don't mess around with their nobles, or their economy. If part of your job to pay reparations is to repair the wall of Ba Sing Se, you should do it instead of trying to change the Earth Kingdom's policies."

Zuko's lips flattened into a straight line. It was almost comical. "I just want to help the Earth Kingdom prosper again."

"That's not your job! Your job is to pay, and butt out, and go about your own business!"

"Well I don't think so!" Zuko snapped.

"Do you want my advice or not?"

"I want your advice, not your _orders_!" he spat. "I'm helping you by letting you stay at the castle. I'm letting you come to the castle with us and wait outside, get the first bit of news before anyone else. I wrote down and memorized everything you told me for my defence. But don't think you can tell me what to do."

The two glared viciously at each other. "I don't understand the way you think," Katara finally uttered through gritted teeth. "I'm just warning you, trying to help! How could your other councillors think it was okay for you to try and order the Earth King around?"

"That's not how it went!" Zuko spat. "I am _discussing _with the Earth King because the Fire Nation is _broke_, okay? We're BROKE!" he finally yelled, so loud Katara winced. He leaned forward, almost viciously eager. "My father spent so much on the military and the air balloons and the invasions and the ships that we have _nothing_. Our coffers are empty. Our industry has collapsed since the war ended. Okay? I can't _pay _all of the reparations." His voice had lowered into a whisper, but it was still intense. When he had finished speaking he stood up quickly and began to disrobe out of his Fire Lord outfit (one of many). Katara was still sitting on the bed, staring at her hands.

Oh.

"I'm sorry," she finally muttered, somewhat half-heartedly. "I didn't know…"

"Well Katara, you never seem to know. But you always attack anyway." His voice was calm, but it still hurt. She frowned and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them again Zuko was in a light cotton robe, dark green (courtesy of the Bei Fongs) and standing right in front of her. "I'm going on a walk."

"Mai is in the garden with Toph," Katara warned him in a quiet voice, all the gusto she'd had moments before gone.

"That's fine. Not sure where I'll go." He walked away and out of the room. Katara stared at the flickering candle on Zuko's bedside, the only light in the room. She found herself lying on the bed and staring at that candle for quite some time.

And then she fell asleep.


End file.
